Shoulder MRI cost in Virginia Beach, VA — inpatient
In Virginia Beach-Chesapeake-Norfolk, VA-NC, 10 hospitals list a cash price for MRI of the shoulder, elbow or wrist joint, no contrast dye as an inpatient: from $1,787.71 to $3,498.92, with a median of $1,932.50. The lowest listed price is at Chesapeake General Hospital — $144.79 less than the median here. Across Virginia, the median is $1,932.50 at 37 hospitals.
Cash prices at 10 facilities across 7 cities for code 73221, as an inpatient (admitted to hospital) . Collected Sep 23, 2026; the hospital files themselves were last updated between Mar 17, 2026 and Apr 1, 2026.
Where each hospital's price falls
Each dot is one hospital's cash price on a scale from the lowest to the highest in Virginia Beach-Chesapeake-Norfolk, VA-NC.
Hospitals, cheapest first
| Hospital | Cash price | List price | Insurers pay | Off list | File date |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Chesapeake General Hospital lowest Chesapeake, VA · (757) 312-8121 Hc Mri-Upper Ext Jnt Wo Cont | $1,787.71 | $2,979.52 | — | 40% | — source file |
| Sentara Careplex Hospital one side Hampton, VA · (757) 827-2545 Chgr-Mr Ue Unilat W/Joint W/O Contrast | $1,932.50 | $3,865.00 | — | 50% | Apr 1, 2026 source file |
| Sentara Leigh Hospital one side Norfolk, VA · (757) 261-6700 Chgr-Mr Ue Unilat W/Joint W/O Contrast | $1,932.50 | $3,865.00 | — | 50% | Apr 1, 2026 source file |
| Sentara Leigh Hospital one side Norfolk, VA · (757) 261-6700 Chgr-Mr Ue Unilat W/Joint W/O Contrast | $1,932.50 | $3,865.00 | — | 50% | Apr 1, 2026 source file |
| Hospital for Extended Recovery one side Norfolk, VA · (757) 388-3000 Chgr-Mr Ue Unilat W/Joint W/O Contrast | $1,932.50 | $3,865.00 | — | 50% | — source file |
| Sentara Virginia Beach General Hospital one side Virginia Beach, VA · (757) 395-8000 Chgr-Mr Ue Unilat W/Joint W/O Contrast | $1,932.50 | $3,865.00 | — | 50% | Apr 1, 2026 source file |
| Sentara Princess Anne Hospital one side Virginia Beach, VA · (757) 507-1520 Chgr-Mr Ue Unilat W/Joint W/O Contrast | $1,932.50 | $3,865.00 | — | 50% | Apr 1, 2026 source file |
| Bon Secours Maryview Medical Center Portsmouth, VA · (757) 398-2200 HC MRI-Upper Ext Jnt WO Cont | $2,094.60 | $3,491.00 | — | 40% | — source file |
| Bon Secours Harbour View Medical Center Suffolk, VA · (757) 673-5917 HC MRI-Upper Ext Jnt WO Cont | $2,094.60 | $3,491.00 | — | 40% | — source file |
| Mary Immaculate Hospital Newport News, VA · (757) 886-6000 HC MRI-Upper Ext Jnt WO Cont | $2,094.60 | $3,491.00 | — | 40% | — source file |
| Children's Hospital of the King's Daughters Norfolk, VA · (757) 668-9647 MRI UP EXTR W/JNT WO | $3,498.92 | $3,887.69 | $2,581.43–$3,576.67 | 10% | Mar 17, 2026 source file |
Inpatient: lowest $1,787.71, median $1,932.50, highest $3,498.92 — a 2.0× difference within the same market.
As an outpatient, the same code is billed by 10 facilities here, median $1,932.50 — that is the price to compare if you are not being admitted.
Cash or insurance?
At the one hospital here that publishes insurer rates for this code, the cash price is below the highest rate a health plan has negotiated. If you have insurance but have not met your deductible, you usually pay your plan's negotiated rate, which falls somewhere in the "Insurers pay" column. Paying cash can cost less, but a cash payment usually does not count toward your deductible. Ask the hospital for both numbers before you book.
What it is
An MRI of an upper-limb joint makes detailed pictures of one joint, most often the shoulder, though the code also covers the elbow and wrist. It shows tendons, ligaments, cartilage and the labrum, such as a rotator cuff tear that does not show on X-rays. No contrast dye is used.
What the price covers
The hospital price usually covers the scan of one joint. The radiologist's reading is often billed separately.